4th Pick on June 28 (5.24.06)

Now that the draft lottery is behind us, and we know the Trail Blazers will be selecting fourth on June 28th, we can officially start the speculation. Who will it be? The Blazers won't be the driver's seat, like they would have been if they had won the first pick, but as we have explained, it probably won't hurt them much for this draft. It doesn't appear there's a player out there the team is dead set on, and now it'll be about reacting, gathering information, and evaluating everything about the players they think will be available. In the coming days, we the broadcasters will be giving you our mock drafts, so stay tuned for that.

As you know by now, the teams with the top five selections will be Toronto, Chicago, Charlotte, Portland, and Atlanta.

Without a doubt, Toronto will be selecting Andrea Bargnani, from Italy, with the top pick. The Raptors are reportedly close to hiring Maurizio Gherardini, who was the long-time general manager of Benetton Treviso, Bargnani's team, to be their new assistant general manager. Those around Bargnani had said earlier this week that the only team Bargnani would play for is Toronto, and even threatened that he would return to Italy if any other team selected him. That probably wouldn't have turned out to be true, but he won't be faced with that decision now.

We've also talked a lot about how this was the 22nd year of the lottery, but only four times has the team with the worst record in the league (or tied for the worst) won the lottery. The Trail Blazers were that team this year. In my opinion, this current lottery system doesn't really work the way it's supposed to. But, I don't foresee any changes in the near future. The teams, and the league, have agreed that this is the best system, even with its obvious flaws. Last season, when the Blazers bucked the odds and moved up to number three we, of course, weren't complaining. It appeared to "work" just fine last season, because we were the team benefiting. But, in terms of how this thing was designed, and what the end result really should be, it's far from perfect.

The lottery was put in place in 1985, and came on the heels of the 1984 draft, which is especially memorable to those in Portland. Yes, that was the Sam Bowie-instead-of-Michael Jordan-draft. Late in that season, some were accusing the Houston Rockets of intentionally losing games late in the season in order to land the top pick in the draft. The NBA, of course, didn't like that and set out to form a new system. This lottery is what they came up with.

Most of the lottery works the way it was designed. But, it's in the top four where they've got a serious problem. The numbers speak for themselves. When the team with the worst record has only won the top pick four times in 22 years, that's not right.

I hadn't paid close attention to this in recent years, mainly because the Trail Blazers have never been in this position before. A lot of people aren't really aware of exactly how this lottery works. Yes, the Trail Blazers had a 25 percent chance to win the lottery, better odds than anyone else. But, you have to realize that the odds were actually better that the Blazers would win the number four spot than the top spot.

Before the lottery began, I ran a lottery simulator over and over and over. I ran it well over 5,000 times the day of the lottery. I ran it in shifts of 100. The Blazers hit the fourth-place slot an average of 41 times during those 100 simulation shifts, as opposed to only 26 times in the top spot. The second and third place hits were dramatically lower than the fourth and first-place slots. It was basically all or nothing. Chances were if they could get past the fourth spot, the odds favored them landing in the top spot. But, the odds were much greater that they would hit the fourth position, much greater than the other three teams they were up against.

It is kind of amazing to me that so few people really know how this lottery system works, and it wasn't until John Nash arrived home from New York that I cornered him and wanted to know exactly what he sees in the back room. He did a good job of explaining it to me, about six times. It's very interesting, and isn't really that different than the regular state lotteries. It's actually kind of like Powerball.

The one thing I really didn't know is that there are only 14 balls in the hopper when they begin selecting, and Nash told me the machine they use is just like the ones you see on TV for the state lotteries. The 14 teams in the lottery are each given different four-digit combinations. The Trail Blazers, as a result of having the worst record in the NBA, were given the most combinations. Of the 1,001 possible results, the Blazers had 250 of them. I think a lot of people are under the impression that there were actually 1,001 balls in the hopper, and 250 of them had a Blazer logo on them. At least this is how I always envisioned it. Again, there are only 14 balls in there and they are numbered 1 through 14. It's the combinations you've got to match, just like in regular lotteries.

The ping-pong balls are selected in groups of four. The first combination pulled is then matched with the team's predetermined numerical combinations. The combination is picked, and the teams quickly search their possible combinations to see if they match. As you know by now, the first winning combination was held by Toronto. They had just a nine percent chance of holding the winning combination, but they had it and won the first pick. It so happens, when the second series of balls were pulled, Toronto held that one as well. But, being they already had the top pick, that combination was discarded and they selected again. Chicago matched the second series of numbers, and Charlotte held the third. That was it. Nash then knew the Blazers would end up fourth. The fifth through the 14th positions just fell into line after that. Toronto was the one team that moved up from that combination, and that's the only reason five through 14 changed. Nash told me it only takes a few minutes to complete the whole process. Nash, and the others, who were in a separate room, then are made to surrender their cell phones and blackberry devices, and are sequestered until the announcements are made on TV.

The good news for Portland is, as we've talked about, this isn't a front-loaded draft, and many experts have projected that there really shouldn't be that much difference one through five. What it does is limit a team's options. I honestly think if the Blazers had landed the top spot they would have traded the pick. That could still happen, but it seems much more likely now that they'll use the pick to select a player who will be a Blazer. The question we'll be debating for the next five weeks is, who will it be? Again, there doesn't appear to be the can't-miss superstar in this draft, but it is very solid. In the fourth spot the Trail Blazers are going to get a solid player who should help the team right away.

The pre-draft workouts are underway around the league, and the Blazers are into this process. They are not only working out players they think will be available at number four, but are working out many more than that. Portland holds the number 30 and 31st picks in the draft as well. So, the elimination process is already underway.

We hosted a special edition of our radio show, Courtside Monday Night, during the draft lottery, and it was a huge success. Coming up on June 28, the night of the NBA Draft, we'll have another special edition of the show. Our draft show will be held this year at Outback Steakhouse in Tualatin, which is only about a mile from the Blazers practice facility. We'll be holding the party in a huge tent in the parking lot, and many more details will follow.

Lottery Talk on Courtside Monday Night (5.16.06)

As I told you last week, our Courtside Monday Night radio show continues all the way though the summer. Last night, we were joined by Blazers director of player personnel Kevin Pritchard, and point guard Steve Blake. Pritchard, who usually opts to come into the studio rather than join us by phone, did that again last night. We like it because he's there with us, we can beat him up for information during commercial breaks, and can tie him to the chair and make him stay a lot longer than he intended. This was one of those nights.

Pritchard has just returned from a European scouting trip, and we heard all about it during the first hour of the program. We also talked about the NBA Draft, and the Draft Lottery, that happens next week.

Lately fans have been asking me one question more than all the others combined (okay, besides "who are the Blazers taking in the draft?") They want to know, "if the Blazers win the lottery and end up with the first pick, will they keep it or perhaps trade it for a veteran?" We repeatedly asked Pritchard that question on the show. I can tell you the team will listen to all offers, and doesn't appear tied to the pick. If another team comes with that veteran, impact player we've talked about, I think a deal could happen. As Pritchard said, time and time again, the Blazers badly need to be in that top postiion so that they have the most opportunities possible.

You can hear the entire interview with Pritchard by clicking on the link at the right of this page.

Steve Blake joined us in the second hour of the program. You can also hear that interview, if you missed it. Blake and his wife just returned from a vacation to France. It'll be an exciting summer for them, as Kristen is expecting, and is due in October. Steve told us last night they just found out on Friday they'll be welcoming a baby boy into the world. No, they're not set on any names yet. Of course, we asked that question.

t's difficult for players to mentally wind down from a season, as you can imagine, and Blake told us he has difficultly with that. The trip to France probably helped though. He said his workouts will begin now, and he doesn't wait until later in the summer like some players do. He'll continue to workout, and play, and work on his game, and will be staying in Portland this summer. That's always nice to hear. Next week's Courtside Monday Night show, will not be on Monday, but on Tuesday. We'll be live at City Sports Bar, on 4th Street in downtown Portland. Tuesday is the draft lottery, and we're inviting fans to come down and join us as we all found out together where the Blazers will be selecting. The radio show will air from 4-6pm, and hopefully we'll have a lot to celebrate. The Blazers have a one-in-four chance to land the top pick.

The pre-draft workouts will begin next week, and are already underway around the country. The Blazers will begin bringing players to Portland, and will begin tightening the screws on the evaluation process. These workouts are huge, and really are the final step in the scouting process. So much is invested in scouting, and evaluating, and the pre-draft workouts can help confirm or dismantle the final book on a player. It's an interesting process, the agents play a huge role. They'll float constant streams of information to the media, a willing and important pawn in this game. You'll hear plenty of fact and fiction, and we won't really know the whole story until draft night.

Join us next Tuesday night, when the ping pong balls drop. It's and understatement to say it's a huge night for the Trail Blazers' future.

Upcoming Events (5.08.06)

As I said in my last blog (I know, that was some time ago), these will continue throughout the summer. I haven't quite figured out if they're going to be once a week yet, and if so, what day we'll be doing them on. But, it'll be a busy summer and we'll have it all covered for you. This blog will get much more frequent around the Draft Lottery, the NBA Draft, and of course, Summer League, where I'll be doing a daily update. We've also got some other exciting stuff planned for summer league on this web site so keep checking back.

Our radio show, Courtside Monday Night, never takes any time off, as you probably know. It's always from 6pm to 8pm, on Monday nights on KXL-750 am locally, and on the Blazers Radio Network. We've also got a lot of listeners who get the show outside the area by logging on to kxl.com. If you want to get involved with the program, you can always e-mail the show at courtside@trailblazers.com. You can send your comments any time during the week and we'll try and get them on the show.

Tonight's show will be hosted by Brian Wheeler and Mike Rice. I will be in Seattle meeting with our partners at Fox Sports Northwest, and will be back on the show next week. Wheels is a more-than-capable fill in and we've got a good show lined up for you tonight. Nate McMillan, who's been out of town, returns tonight and will join the guys live, hopefully at 6:30. We'll also be talking NBA Draft with Chris Ekstrand, who wrote a great article recently on SI.com on all the European prospects. He's also the former editor of the NBA Draft Guide. He knows his stuff. Steve Jones, who's been working playoff games on ABC and ESPN, will check in at 7:30. And, there's a chance San Antonio's Brent Barry will join Wheels and Rice live. That's still up in the air, so hopefully it works out.

If you miss any of these interviews, come back to this same page on the website tomorrow morning and we'll have links to all the interviews you can hear by clicking on the right side of this screen. The man who flies the ship for us on the radio network, "The Captain," Rich Patterson, will have these interviews set for us by tomorrow. I should also mention, "Mrs. Captain," Deb Patterson, is doing a remarkable job bringing pizza to the radio studio during the show and we all hope that continues throughout the summer. This is called "plugola," by the way, normally illegal in the radio business, but we don't work for a radio station, nor are we in a union, so we can do pretty much whatever the heck we want. I'm sure that comes across on the air. How do you think Rice plays free golf all summer?

Coming up on May 23rd, we'll be moving the show to a Tuesday night, and will be live at City Sports Bar on 4th street in downtown Portland for the NBA Draft Lottery. The show will be from 4pm to 6pm, as that's when the draft order will be announced. As you probably know, the Trail Blazers have a 1 in 4 chance to land the number-one pick in the draft.

Speaking of the draft, we've got our NBA Draft special lined up. That'll be on June 28th. And, I mentioned we'll be in Las Vegas at Summer League, and not only will we have daily updates, interviews, photos, video, and more, on trailblazers.com, but we'll be hosting Courtside Monday Night on July 11th, live from the ESPNZone inside New York New York Hotel and Casino on the strip. I'll have much more on all these events in the near future, I just wanted you to get them on your calendar now. Enjoy Courtside tonight, and check back here for the interviews tomorrow.

Thanks! (4.20.06)

It's over. Now, all the talk about what's going to happen in the off-season can officially begin- all the speculation, all the mock drafts, all the trade rumors, everything.

Last night was a little bit strange. Last season I can remember being ready for the season to end. It was a relief, and I think everyone felt that. I'm sure there was some of that last night when things came to an end. But, I can't really get a handle on how I'm feeling now that things are over. I kept getting asked the question "are you ready for this season to end, or what?" I can't really say that I was. I love this team, love this franchise, love the coaches, and call me crazy, but I have this strong belief in everything connected to the Blazers. I guess I just see everything improving from here, and when that's the case, you want to get that started as soon as possible.

It'll be nice to rest up and get off the road, I will say that. As I've explained before, this 6-month season is an absolute whirlwind. We're gone so much, and are always preparing for the next game. Weekends and holidays mean nothing, and your entire life is dictated by the NBA schedule. The schedule here at the end was especially tough. I feel like we haven't been home in months. When we've been home I've been at my computer at home or at work, preparing for the next game. On the nights off we've either been traveling, doing game prep, or hosting our radio show. I actually sat down and watched a little TV at home on Tuesday night. I was telling my wife that it seems like it's been forever since I've done that.

Following the end of the season a lot of the players get away immediately. I went through the locker room last night following the game and shook a lot of hands. I know the players who are taking off right away, and I went to them first. I thanked them for their effort and asked about their plans for the off-season. Some of them are staying around for a while, or are leaving for a few days and then are coming back to relax for a few days and pack. Some of the players, as you probably know, have purchased homes here and are planning on staying here during the summer. I also wanted to thank the entire team staff, trainers, team attendants, security personnel, and P.R. people. It's always a little sad to me when it ends. You just really don't ever know whom you'll see again and whom you won't.

We, the broadcasters, get asked often what we do in the off-season. As you probably know, the radio show that Mike Rice and I host, Courtside Monday Night, doesn't take any time off. In fact, tonight we'll be hosting a special edition of the show from 6-8pm on KXL-750 in Portland, and the Blazers Radio Network. Tonight, Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey will be in studio with us. We'll also have general manager John Nash on with us for at least a half-hour. The plan is to have him on from 6:15 to 6:45. Even though I talk to John all the time, I'm anxious to get his take on the season now that it's over. He was very realistic before the season started, and ruffled a few feathers, when he said he expected this team to win 20 to 25 games. Turns out he was right.

Last night was the final time you'll see Rice and I on TV for a while. We will be at the Las Vegas Summer League, and will be doing some reports for FSN, but won't be calling any games on TV until next season, of course. Even though the names probably don't mean much to you fans, I would like to publicly thank our great TV crew for all the work they put into this season. I mentioned how tough it can be to leave your family, make this commitment, and pour your entire life into an NBA season. They all do it, do most of the heavy lifting, and help Rice and I seem somewhat intelligent on the air (and that's no easy task). Our great director is Chris McMurtry. Chris is a genius in this business, and could honestly do any job in this business. His job is to call out, verbally, all of the camera shots, replays, graphics, and packages, to the technical director, John Burns. Burns sits at a huge board of switches and buttons and basically plays the piano. He rarely makes a mistake, and if you saw a modern TV board you'd wonder how he does it.

Our executive producer is Scott Zachry, who's been with the Blazers for 18 years. He is in my ear during the entire broadcast and is constantly telling me where we're going next. I rely heavily on his direction. Z tells me what's about to come on the screen, including all replays, and tells me exactly when it's coming, so it can be as seamless as possible. People always wonder how I can talk about one thing, while he is in my ear telling me something else. You just get used to it, and we know each other so well we're usually thinking the same thing anyway. It's a tricky part of broadcasting the games, and this relationship is vital to any success we have on the air (that goes for any broadcast of any sport). During commercials is when I hear from him the most. He tells me exactly what's coming up after the break, what card to read, what replays to expect, and often we just talk about the direction of the game and discuss the best way to follow it.

The associate producer is Jeff Curtin, who went to school with me at Oregon State. We did high school games together on the student TV station KBVR. Jeff is valuable at home, but is really our backbone on the road. He is part shooter, part audio guy, partly in charge of graphics, and always makes sure we have all the right equipment, and that we're using all the good stuff we gather before games and on off days. From his many years of traveling with us, he knows every NBA city incredibly well. He takes the lead in one of the vans and we just follow. I can't imagine making a road trip without him, and hope I never have to experience one without him.

Kim Anderson is the graphics coordinator, and spends most of game days loading in everything you will see on the screen in terms of graphics, stats, promotions, and player names. She's a wiz at her game and puts up with all the high pressure of the TV truck and being on the road with a bunch of dudes.

John Lukrofka just finished up his first season traveling with us full time, and now has a better idea of what it takes, and how difficult it can be. He also knows now the rewards and enjoyment that comes with it. He runs a complex piece of equipment called the EVS, or "Elvis," as it's called in the business. This machine is responsible for all the highlight packages you see, and handles most of the replays during a game. I actually don't have a clue how it works, and that's just fine with me. I wish you could all see a TV truck run during a game. It's controlled chaos, and works like an orchestra when things are going well, which hopefully they normally are.

There are so many others who work on TV games, I wish I had room to get them all in. We've got all of our photographers (not cameramen, as I've learned the hard way), audio techs, engineers, statisticians, and all the people who make sure Rice and I have what we need to broadcast games. The one guy I'd like to specifically single out is our main full-time engineer, Mike Janes. He's a computer wizard, and has to be. Bob Akamian, who's also been around the team forever, produces most of our feature pieces, and Ron Quant shoots them, cuts them, and edits them with Bob. Todd Mansfield, who is on the air with us on FSN Live, helps all of us out a ton. And, speaking of helping us out, I've got to mention "the Captain" Rich Patterson, who runs the radio network. He's been around this team for decades, and not only does he keep Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey on the air, and also runs Courtside Monday Night, but has a direct line to the truck to pass along key stats and historical facts. I don't know where we'd be on some nights without him.

These are just a few of the people who make Blazers Broadcasting run. Our man at the top of the food chain is the VP of Broadcasting Dick Vardanega, who sits in his office during games at home and on the road, watches over everything, and coordinates from the top. He is the one who went to bat for me when I was hired, so I owe him everything.

If it seems like Rice and I are close on the air, it's because we are. I spent a lot of time with him at home and on the road. Whether it's a meal, tennis, golf, or just a walk through a strange city. As I've mentioned before, he is the best-prepared analyst in the business. I know you all love him and we all love working with him. It's always an adventure and is always very fun. We lean on each other for so much it's hard to explain. He made the transition from radio to TV this season and that's not as easy as it sounds. I hope to work with him as my partner for many years to come. The last two guys I want to thank is the radio team, of Wheels and Tone. Rice isn't my only partner, and these guys are great at their jobs, and are close friends. We all spend more time together than you can imagine, and I consider them all family. I wish you could hear some of the debates and spirited conversations that go on the team plane. Those flights go by quickly with us all talking at the same time.

I could go on and on about all of these people, but I know it's probably not tremendously exciting to you. I do want to thank all of our fans, and can never do that enough. You're the best, and we couldn't do all of this without your support. If you have specific questions about anything feel free to shoot me an e-mail. My personal e-mail address is mike.barrett@trailblazers.com. If you send me a question or comment, be patient. I will get to you in time and will do my best to get you an answer to the best of my knowledge. We'll be busy this summer and so will the team. I honestly can't wait to start it all over again. Okay, maybe after I sleep for a few weeks.

Fan Appreciation Night - TONIGHT (4.19.06)

It's the final game of the season tonight for the Portland Trail Blazers, and it's Fan Appreciation Night at the Rose Garden. The Phoenix Suns are the opponent, and the Blazers have a chance to square the season series 2-2. The Suns blew out the Blazers back in December 130-85, Portland pulled the upset on March 12th at the Rose Garden, 111-101, and the Suns won the last meeting, on March 23rd, 125-108.

It doesn't seem like a year ago that we were heading into that final game against the Lakers at the Rose Garden, and a team of very young Blazers got the win. Kevin Pritchard, who's the player personnel director now, was the interim head coach then, and Sebastian Telfair and Travis Outlaw led the Blazers to the victory in front of a playoff-like crowd. We can only hope tonight ends the same way, with the same kind of promise being shown on the Trail Blazers' end.

For the Suns this is simply a tune-up game. They had been resting some of their regulars, but in the last game went back to a lineup with most of their big guns and beat New Orleans / Oklahoma City, 115-78. In that game Monday, the Suns ended up shooting 20 for 54 from behind the three-point line. That is a staggering number, and obviously means more than half of their points in that game came from long range. That doesn't happen very often. Expect them to be bombing away again tonight.

Most of the Suns regulars should play tonight, with the exception of Boris Diaw, who will likely win the Most Improved Player award this season. He's got strep throat and didn't make the trip. There's been no word on whether or not Shawn Marion will play tonight. He was kept out of the lineup on Monday, but did make the trip to Portland.

The Suns are looking for their 54th victory of the season, after winning the Pacific Division again, but haven't exactly been rolling through opponents down the stretch. They had an amazing 11-game winning streak that finally ended on March 6th, and are just 10 and 11 since then. Some of the games have been meaningless, as they've had the division title wrapped up and have been getting set for the playoffs, but this is clearly not the way they wanted to head into the post season. They are just 4 and 5 in April, and have to win tonight to avoid suffering their first losing month since re-acquiring Steve Nash.

Speaking of Nash, he is the front runner to repeat as the NBA's Most Valuable Player. No one expected the Suns to be in this position with their most explosive player, Amare Stoudemire, out for most of the season. Nash gets most of the credit, and rightly so. He'll also become just the 4th player in NBA history to shoot over 50% from the field, over 40% from three-point land, and over 90% from the foul line. The other players who have done that, are Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, and Mark Price.

The Blazers got a jump on Fan Appreciation Night yesterday with something we called Trail Blazers In the City. Our entire staff, players included, hit local parks, 76 gas stations, radio stations, and restaurants, to mingle with fans, give out T-shirts, and tickets to tonight’s game. I got a tough assignment. I was with Jarrett Jack at Henry's in downtown Portland playing pool, meeting fans, and having an adult beverage. It was a tough evening. I ended up teaming up with GM John Nash and took on all challengers in 8-ball. I had no idea Nash was a "Fast" Eddie Felson on the tables. I only wish we had been playing for money. Jarrett dubbed our table the "pro" table and wanted no part of the action. He sipped strawberry lemonade (which he said you can't get on the east coast, and is now his favorite beverage) and watched from a distance. Between games we talked with fans, handed out shirts, and talked about what's to come in the off season.

Tonight's final game will be televised on KGW-8 in the Portland area and the Blazers Television Network. Wheels and Tone will have it on the Blazers Radio Network (KXL in the Portland area). On Thursday night, we'll have our radio show, Courtside Monday Night, airing at 6 o'clock. We'll have special guests, and Wheels and Tone will join Rice and I in the studio.

Kobe's Gift to Martell (4.17.06)

We're in San Fransisco, on our final road trip of the season. Tonight, the Trail Blazers take on the Golden State Warriors in the second-to-last game of the season for both teams. The Warriors beat the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden on Saturday night, with both teams shorthanded. Even if the outcome of tonight's game is basically meaningless for both teams, Nate McMillan would very much like to get a win before the season ends. The Blazers wrap up the season on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns in Portland.

The team practiced in Portland before we left yesterday. Because our plane is also used by the Seattle Mariners, we left Portland early on Easter afternoon. It flew to Boston after it dropped us off to get set to pick up the M's following today's early game against the Red Sox. As you probably know by now, Darius Miles made the trip with us, and Zach Randolph did not. So, the Blazers will be shorthanded once again tonight. The starting lineup should once again be Telfair, Webster, Outlaw, Khryapa, and Ratliff for Portland. Golden State played without Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy, and both should be back tonight.

On the flight to San Fransisco yesterday we watched the Lakers / Suns game on the plane. We started talking about Kobe Bryant, and how he and Martell Webster spent time together before the game against the Lakers on Friday. When we boarded the plane to head back to Portland, Martell was carrying a pair of Kobe's shoes, which were autographed. There was also a number written on the shoes- "81." I was told they were the shoes Kobe wore on the night he scored 81 points against Toronto. Needing a little further confirmation, I asked Martell himself last night in the lobby of our hotel in San Fransisco. Martell indeed said Kobe presented him with the shoes after the game on Friday, and that they were the shoes Kobe wore on the historic night. I asked Martell how often he speaks with Kobe, and he said they talk frequently, and that Kobe has invited him down to work out with him this summer in Los Angeles. Martell said he plans on doing it and is very excited about it.

Before a home game against Seattle recently, we spotted Martell and Ray Allen sitting on Seattle's bench a couple of hours before the game against the Sonics. We even shot a little bit of it and added it to our telecast that night. Martell told us after that he was just getting some advice from Allen about life in the NBA, work habits, and tips on handling life in the NBA. Now, it appears he's getting advice from Kobe as well. Say what you want about Kobe, no one ever questions his work ethic, and hopefully that rubs off on Martell, who's already a hard worker. A lot of young players go to NBA veterans for advice, and it appears the 19-year-old Webster has chosen his role models carefully. Allen and Bryant are not a bad place to start.

Tonight's game will be televised on KGW-8 in the Portland area, and on the Blazers Television Network, beginning at 7 o'clock with the pre-game show. Wednesday's season finale against Phoenix will also be on KGW. Both games will, of course, also be on the Blazers Radio Network, with Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey.

Lakers Need a Win at the Rose Garden (4.14.06)

Four games left for the Trail Blazers, including tonight's game against the Lakers at the Staples Center here in Los Angeles. After tonight, the Blazers have Golden State at home tomorrow night, and then take on the Warriors in Oakland Monday, and the Phoenix Suns in Portland on Wednesday.

Yesterday was an off day for the Trail Blazers, but they did practice. Tonight when they take on the Lakers they'll be without their two leading scorers, Zach Randolph and Darius Miles. Joel Przybilla is back in Portland, injured, and I'm not sure if we'll see Juan Dixon play in the game. That means it'll be up to that young team we saw battle the Clippers to the wire on Wednesday night.

Look for the Blazers to start the same five as they started on Wednesday night. Sebastian Telfair will be the starting point guard, and Steve Blake will play the two, and yes, will once again guard Kobe Bryant. Against the Blazers, and Blake, this season, Bryant has scored 41, 27, and 35 points. Oddly enough, the only game the Blazers have lost to the Lakers has been the game when Kobe scored 27. Portland beat the Lakers on January 11th in Portland, and again on March 1st at the Rose Garden. I watched the Lakers game on Tuesday night at our hotel in Marina Del Ray and following that win over Golden State, Phil Jackson talked about facing the Blazers tonight. He said, for whatever reason, they've been unable to figure the Blazers out in Portland this season, but said they'd be ready on Friday.

The Lakers can clinch a playoff spot tonight. They've got to beat the Blazers and then have Utah lose at Oklahoma City. Of course, the Lakers control their own destiny and if Utah beats the Hornets it doesn't necessarily cripple their chances. They can still clinch if they win just one of their remaining two games. It's also very important for the Lakers because they would love to stay in the 7th spot in the west and avoid playing San Antonio in the first round. If they can stay ahead of Sacramento, they'll get Phoenix instead. The Lakers go into tonight leading the Kings by one game for that 7th spot.

This Blazers / Lakers series has been very competitive in recent years. In the past 13 meetings the Lakers have won 7, and the Blazers have won 6. I was also surprised to learn that the Lakers, under Phil Jackson, are just 11-12 against the Blazers.

One more Kobe note. If he scores 16 points tonight he'll break the Lakers all-time franchise record for points scored in a season. Elgin Baylor holds the record with 2,719 points in the 1962-63 season. Kobe has already broken another Baylor record this season. Bryant has scored 40 or more points in 25 games this season, breaking Baylor's record of 23 games of 40+.

After three nights in the same hotel, we return home to Portland following the game tonight. Then, as I said earlier, face Golden State on Saturday in the second of a back-to-back.

Positives (4.13.06)

You don't ever feel great about a loss, but it is possible to feel good after a loss like last night's. All things considered, the Trail Blazers played one of their best games in a while. They were without their two leading scorers, Zach Randolph and Darius Miles, and were without their best big man, Joel Przybilla. They also played without Juan Dixon, who has started most of the season at the shooting guard spot. So, really, that's four regular contributors not involved at all in the game, and the Blazers took a solid Western Conference team to the wire in their building.

Jarrett Jack continues to look more and more like a leader, and as I mentioned on the air, should be on a short list when talking about steals from last year's NBA Draft. Jack was 8-12 shooting, had 20 points, 7 assists, and no turnovers. He also got the toughest defensive assignments at the other end. When Cuttino Mobley started having success by posting up Blazer guards, Jack was switched on to him and took him out of the flow. Portland's other two point guards, Sebastian Telfair and Steve Blake, played good games as well. Blake started the game at the shooting guard position and had 9 points, all of them coming on three-point shots. Telfair, who Nate McMillan told me will start the rest of the games this season at the point guard spot, had 7 points.

Last night was also another step forward for Travis Outlaw, who played well in the last game against Denver as well. Travis had 8 points and a career-high 9 rebounds. Nate has wanted him to be more active and to better use his athleticism and he did that last night.

Theo Ratliff was also huge for the Blazers in this effort. We've always known he has more offensive ability than he usually shows, and with Zach Randolph out of this game, Theo supplied some much needed front-line scoring. He had 11 points and hit two huge jump hooks late in the game to keep Portland in it.

Elton Brand played well for the Clippers, but wasn't dominating. Viktor Khryapa, who played Brand most of the night, should get some credit for this. Brand got 25 points, but hit just about everything he looked at, and most were outside shots. He was 12 for 16 shooting, but only had 5 rebounds. Viktor did a nice job of keeping a body on him and keeping him off the offensive glass.

I mentioned yesterday how odd this trip is, because we're in the same hotel for three nights. That just never happens. After the game it was great to not have to run like mad for the airport. We were able to return to the hotel, grab some dinner, and then return to our rooms. Tomorrow it'll be a day to get a little work done, play some tennis, walk on the beach, and maybe even relax. We don't get many days off during the season and, at this point in the season, it'll be nice. The team will, of course, practice today, before taking on the Lakers on Friday

Final Road Games (4.12.06)

It's the final multi-game road trip of the season for us, and it begins tonight with a game against the Clippers at the Staples Center here in Los Angeles. It's the first time I can remember playing both the Clippers and the Lakers on the same road trip. As I mentioned yesterday, we're in the same hotel for three nights, and that's really a rare thing. We checked in yesterday afternoon and could actually unpack. Normally it's just throw a couple of things on a chair and get ready to leave again the next day. That's part of what makes NBA travel so tough.

The Clippers are 44-33, the first time since the 1992-93 season they've won 40 games. We talked about that the last time we played them, back on the 26th of March. There are a lot of stats like that in their game notes, of course. They haven't had a chance to talk about the playoffs in a long time and they have set their sites high going into this year's post season. That being said, they are not exactly rolling into the playoffs and desperately want to change that. The Clippers have lost three in a row and 7 of their last 12. Monday they fell to the Mavericks in L.A. 75-73. A very low scoring game for these two teams. Most importantly for the Clips, they need to get healthy.

Last night Courtside Monday Night, which was on a Tuesday, obviously, was hosted by Jay Allen and Bob Akamian. Rice and I were in transit to Los Angeles and Jay and Bob did their usual good job in filling in. They had the director of player personnel Kevin Pritchard on, and also were joined by Joel Przybilla. If you missed the interviews on the show, you can hear them by clicking on the links on the right side of this page.

These two games from L.A. will be on KGW-8 in the Portland area, and on the Blazers Television Network. Both broadcasts, tonight's and Friday's, begin at 7 pm with the pre-game show. Nate McMillan will join me for a one-on-one in both pre-game shows. See you tonight.

Bench Unit Has a Good Game Against the Nuggets (4.11.06)

One of the best illustrations of the difference between a good team, and a mediocre team, can be seen in just reading the linescore from last night's game. This is what Denver offensively, by quarter: 28, 28, 28, 26. Here are Portland's four offensive quarters: 19, 33, 17, 29. I know that seems pretty simple, but it's just about consistency. It's what every coach strives for. The Nuggets defeated the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden 110-98.

A look at the Portland box score last night explains why the quarters were so out of balance. The bench unit outscored the starters 66-32. That's incredible. That's simply why the team combined for 62 points in the second and fourth quarters, and 36 points in the first and third. You can usually find stuff like this in a box score, but I can't recall it jumping off the page like this before.

Who would have expected this? In the battle of players playing against their former teams last night, it was Ruben Patterson 21, Voshon Lenard 21. Ruben was terrific last night for Denver. He got a great ovation, as expected, played with his trademark hustle, and had a couple of very impressive slams. He came over to shake the Portland coaching staff's hands before the game, was humble afterwards, and talked about how happy he is to be with a veteran team like Denver. As I said yesterday, I'm happy for Ruben and I hope Denver makes some noise in the playoffs. They've probably got to get Earl Boykins, Kenyon Martin, and Eduardo Najera back to make that noise, but at least two of the three will be ready come post season.

The Trail Blazers were an amazing 13 for 24 from behind the three-point line in the game. The bench was 9 for 18. In the second quarter, Martell Webster and Lenard had the Nuggets' defense spread out, off balance, and scrambling to cover them. Steve Blake's three pointer late in the first half gave Portland a two-point lead. But they ended up trailing by 4 at the half.

The third quarter belonged to Marcus Camby. He had 15 of Denver's 28 points in the third, and continued to answer every Portland run. Camby being healthy down the stretch has been the key to Denver holding its position in the west, and ultimately clinching the division title.

Last night was also another step forward for Sebastian Telfair. He continues to play under control (yes, I know he had 5 turnovers), and continues to finish at the rim. He ended with 21.

Today we leave for Los Angeles, and the final two-game trip of the season. Wednesday night the Blazers take on the Clippers at Staples, and Friday we play the Lakers. It's the first time I can ever remember playing both L.A. teams on the same trip. We'll have the day off Thursday, before playing the Lakers. It'll be extremely odd to check into a hotel for three consecutive nights. I'm not sure that's happened in my time here. We'll actually be able to unpack.

Talk to you tomorrow from L.A.

Ruben Returns (4.10.06)

Okay, let's go ahead and talk about this first, and then we can move on. Ruben Patterson makes his return tonight at the Rose Garden when the Denver Nuggets take on the Blazers. I know for a fact he's had this date circled on his calendar ever since the trade, and it's always interesting to see how players react in situations like this. Knowing Ruben, he'll be all over the floor, chasing the ball, thumping his chest, and trying to put up as many points as possible. This isn't a bad thing, but I'm sure coach George Karl has talked to him about staying under control, something that's been a challenge for Ruben in the past, on and off the floor.

The media will be gathered around his locker following the game, win or lose. As I'm sure you know, he's always been good for a couple of strong quotes, and will no doubt not disappoint tonight. I am like everyone else and am interested in what he'll say. The fact of the matter is, the Trail Blazers paid him a lot of money (overpaid him depending on who you ask), dealt with his off-the-court distractions, and then complied with his trade demand and sent him to a playoff team. Ruben should spend his time thanking the team, and talking about how the fans always treated him so well and appreciated his go-for-broke style. We won't hear any of that though, and he likely won't talk much about his new teammates, or the great situation in Denver. He'll be out to trash John Nash, the organization, the situation in Portland, and will completely forget that he had a lot to do with the atmosphere that existed while he was here. I'm actually happy for Ruben, and always liked him when he was here. As the Nuggets are learning, you just have to take the good with the bad, and you'll always hear the comment "that's just Ruben."

The Blazer crowd, I suspect, will give him a positive welcome back to Portland. The only player the fans consistently boo when he returns seems to be Bonzi Wells. Rasheed hears it at times as well, but it's usually a mix of boos and cheers. With Bonzi he gets booed every time he touches the ball. Fans always appreciated Ruben's hustle and desire, and I believe he was responsible for several Blazer wins early this season. I hope he chooses to focus on that tonight and doesn't spend too much time focusing on himself. I'm sure the Nuggets are hoping for the same thing.

Denver was starting Ruben at the off-guard position for a while, in fact he has started 17 of his 21 games with the Nuggets. But, in recent days, he's been coming off the bench and Greg Buckner has been starting. It's made them a little more consistent, and we all know what a spark plug Ruben can be when inserted with the second unit. That's probably got a lot more to do with it than anything.

The injury news for the Blazers, as we talked about at Utah on Saturday, won't be good tonight. Joel Przybilla won't play, and may not play again this season. He hyperextended his knee against Houston last week and suffered a bad bone bruise inside his knee. The good news is he didn't do any serious damage to the knee. Darius Miles came down awkwardly on his surgically repaired knee at Utah on Saturday and might not play tonight. Zach Randolph, who hobbled onto the team bus in Salt Lake City won't be 100 percent, but hopefully he'll give the team whatever he has. I mentioned on TV several times on Saturday I thought the limping during the game was from him banging the knee in the first half. He told me on the plane it wasn't from that, and it was just sore from wear and tear, and that it's still nowhere near back to full strength following his off-season surgery.

Denver can clinch its first division title in 18 years with a win, and haven't played particularly well in recent days. They'll be not only looking for the division title, but will be looking for the sweep of the Blazers, and will be looking to gain some positive momentum with the playoffs just around the corner.

We'll have the game on TV tonight, on Fox Sports Net, beginning with FSN Live at 6:30. General Manager John Nash will join me live in the pre-game show. Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey will, of course, have the game on the Blazers Radio Network

Theo To Start, Joel To Sit (4.7.06)

It'll be just about the same starting five for the Trail Blazers tonight when they take on the Sonics at the Rose Garden. The only change being Theo Ratliff will start at center for Joel Przybilla.

During the first half of Wednesday's game against Houston, Joel hyperextended the knee and came up hobbling. We showed it in several replays and it simply looked like took a bad step, or tried to stretch and turn and ended up hurting the knee. He played through the pain, and even played some in the second half. Joel says it was sore, but okay after the game and into the night. At about midnight he found himself in some pretty serious pain and iced the back of his knee. An MRI yesterday showed no ligament damage, just possibly a bone bruise. He's listed as day-to-day, but don't expect to see him tonight. He's frustrated and badly wants to play.

It's kind of gone this way most of the season, as soon as one of the big guys comes back, the other one goes down. Ratliff returned on Wednesday, and Joel goes down. Theo is still battling tendonitis in his ankle, which developed from that bad sprain he suffered in Toronto on February 12th. So, look for Brian Skinner to get some minutes in a back-up role tonight. To get back to the starting five, it'll be Blake, Dixon, Miles, Randolph, and Ratliff.

Tonight is the fourth and final meeting of the season between the Blazers and Sonics. Seattle has taken two of the three, including Sunday's 39-point win, the biggest in the history of the series. The game was over early, and I don't think Nate McMillan is going to let that happen again. He was embarrassed in his old home, and the players now owe him one. If they don't already know that, he'll let them know it. We'll also see if the Blazers found any inspiration in the way Seattle continued to shoot three-pointers and celebrate after every dunk with a series of fist pumps, dance moves, and looks to the Portland bench. This happened right up to the final horn. I actually couldn't blame them. They've been called the most disappointing team in the NBA all season (right up there with Golden State and Houston), and this was a chance for them to bust loose and have some fun.

Rashard Lewis didn't play in that game Sunday, and won't play tonight. He'll be serving a one-game suspension handed down by the league yesterday. It comes because Lewis pleaded guilty in court to reckless driving. Nick Collison will play for Seattle. He's been out since tearing the fascia in his right foot on March 5th.

The biggest question is how in the world are the Trail Blazers going to deal with Chris Wilcox. He had 18 points and 13 rebounds against the Blazers Sunday, and then had 26 points and 24 rebounds against Houston on Tuesday. They picked him up when they sent Vladimir Radmanovic to the Clippers back on February 14th. It's one of those rare trades that has worked out perfectly for both sides.

After the game tonight, we fly out to Salt Lake City, and will get in very late. Saturday night, the Blazers battle the Jazz for the 4th and final time this season.

Tonight's game is on Fox Sports Net once again, beginning at 6:30 with FSN Live. Saturday night's game is on KGW-8. Both games, of course, are on the Blazers Radio Network with Wheels and Tone.

Trail Blazers Break Losing Street (4.6.06)

It wasn't pretty, but at this point I don't think anyone cares. An 11-game losing streak, and a 9-game losing streak to the Houston Rockets were snapped last night at the Rose Garden when the Blazers beat Houston 76-75. The fact that it was a very low scoring game shouldn't have surprised anyone, but, okay, no, I didn't expect both teams to be in the 70s.

There were three standout stars of the game for Portland. Sebastian Telfair, Voshon Lenard, and Theo Ratliff. Telfair came off the bench and played, I believe, his best game of the season. He had 13 points, including the game-winning shot, was 6 for 9, had 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and had only 2 turnovers. He ran the offense very well, made some great entry passes to the post, and played great defense on Rafer Alston. Ratliff returned with big brace on his ankle, blocked four shots, and played great defense on Yao Ming. His best defense on Yao came away from the ball in the low post. The Rockets were trying to get the ball inside, and Theo showed great strength and determination. Joel Przybilla was also great against Yao, and pulled down 10 rebounds against a very good rebounding team in Houston.

Yao has averaged nearly 30 points per game in his last 15, and has carried this Houston team offensively lately. He had 33 against the Lakers Sunday, and had six games of 30 points or more in March. Last night he was held to just 13 points and 7 rebounds.

It was great to see Lenard get a chance to play for the Blazers last night. They've been going with the young guys, and we've certainly understood that, but last night was an example that at times it takes veterans to get you over the hump. Lenard, who's a great guy and a total pro, hasn't complained one bit about sitting out in place of the youngsters. He's in a contract year and could be putting up a huge stink about not being allowed to at least show what he's still got left to potential suitors. He had 14 points off the bench, hit 3 big three-pointers and also had 3 steals.

Last night was mostly an example of how much this team has been missing its key parts. Ratliff is, of course, one of those elements, and with he and Joel both playing last night it reminded me of what this team can be when healthy. The starters have been fine on most nights. It's when the second unit has come in that things have gone sideways at times.

This game also showed how tough a decision the Blazers will have when it comes to who gets the big minutes at the point-guard spot next season. Telfair is playing the best basketball of his young career right now and is starting to play under control and run the team like a veteran. Steve Blake has been terrific this season and should be proud of how he's made the most of this opportunity. And, Jarrett Jack, who sat out last night (they've been taking turns sitting out of games lately) is going to be in this league a long time, and has been maybe the most consistent Trail Blazer this season. So, do you keep all three? If not, who goes? I'm glad I don't have to make that decision.

Telfair was our guest on TV following the game and expressed to me the relief the team was feeling in finally getting this losing streak broken. The schedule is very tough the rest of the way, and there honestly just aren't going to be many more opportunities to play teams you should beat. Last night was one of those, and on this occasion, they came through.

Friday night should be a great game against Seattle at the Rose Garden. Portland now has some confidence back and will be out for revenge for what happened on Sunday in Seattle. The Sonics destroyed the Blazers and were showboating around like they had just won the NBA title. I know Nate will have them ready to play.

Trail Blazers Could End the Streak with Houston (4.5.06)

Is this the night? Does the losing streak end here? I'm not just talking about the Trail Blazers overall losing skid, but also their streak to the Houston Rockets. Amazingly, Portland has dropped 9 straight to the Rockets. This sounds strange, but I think I remember all 9. There's really no explaining it, but this is the longest losing streak Portland has against any team in the NBA. For whatever reason, in recent history, Houston has just had Portland's number.

The good news for the Trail Blazers is, there's no Tracy McGrady to worry about tonight. I know fans love to see the stars of the NBA, and some would probably prefer to see McGrady on this night, but the Blazers need all the help they can get right now. With the Rockets just about officially out of the running for a playoff spot, and in the middle of a six-game road trip, is this the night the Trail Blazers finally get them?

The Blazers took Monday off, and returned to the practice floor today. They are all sick of this streak and are sick of being asked about it. Their coach, Nate McMillan, obviously, badly wants this thing to end. The schedule is not easy the rest of the way and if you're circling winnable games that remain, this has to be considered one of those on a very short list.

Yesterday afternoon the entire Trail Blazers staff gathered for a meeting. Not a special meeting, just one of the scheduled all-staff meetings. As usual, Nate addressed the entire staff, and as usual, he did a bang-up job. I only wish the public could hear some of these closed-door speeches. If the guy wants a career as a motivational speaker when his coaching days are over he could certainly be successful at it. He talked of his love of the organization, his commitment, his confidence, and his many sleepless nights this season. No one has gone through more pain over the lack of winning than Nate. The one point he pushed across to all of us is that he's not going to rest until things change. I don't know if any staff in the NBA believes in its head coach the way this organization does. It's easy to believe when you hear his conviction and passion. Steve Blake and Juan Dixon also were at the meeting, with their wives, and did a fantastic job.

We're televising tonight's game on Fox Sports Net, once again. And, this is one of several of our broadcasts recently that will be picked up by NBAE and will be broadcast around the world. We'll be on in France, Hong Kong, Iceland, Mexico, The Philippines, Russia, Spain, Turkey, Korea, and China. It's pretty incredible, and I'll be sure and tell Rice to bring his "A" material. Maybe I just won't tell him so he won't get nervous. The technology is amazing and it's exciting every time we're carried around the globe. Hopefully, a lot of people will watch the Trail Blazers snap this streak.

Interesting Draft Speculation Following Florida's Victory (4.4.06)

When we were landing at the airport on Sunday night, following the loss to the Sonics, the announcement came that the Blazers would have the day off Monday. A few players would have to come in for treatment on injuries, but that there wouldn't be a formal practice. Sunday's was one of the worst losses of the season, and this was probably a good decision by Nate McMillan. As we've stated on TV and our radio show, he has continued to run high-energy practices, and has been very demanding of the team despite the fact that they aren't going anywhere after the regular season. Nate has been simply preparing for the future for some time now, and uses every possible moment he can to teach and to see who really wants to be involved in his system.

The team returns to the practice floor today, and will get ready to take on the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. The losing streak has reached 11, and one of the best remaining opportunities to get a home win is Wednesday. The Rockets aren't going anywhere either, and will be without Tracy McGrady the rest of the way. Friday the Blazers host Seattle, and Saturday take on the Jazz in Salt Lake City.

Last night on our radio show we talked with Frank Hughes, a frequent guest, who writes for the Tacoma News-Tribune, and ESPN.com. Being he spends most of his time writing on the Sonics, we talked about just how disappointing a season this has been for Seattle. They got win number 30 Sunday against the Blazers. This, after winning 52 last season under McMillan. Last week on the show Mike Kahn, of Foxsports.com, said he thinks the Sonics have been the most disappointing team in the NBA this season. I countered with Golden State, and he stood firm on his first choice.

We asked Hughes about the futures of two of Seattle's stars- Rashard Lewis, and Luke Ridnour. I talked with someone very close to the Sonics organization Sunday before the game and he told me Lewis has made noise with those close to him about how he's got one more year left in a Sonics uniform and then is bolting when he becomes a free agent. If that's the case, look for Seattle to perhaps deal him this summer or during next season. Ridnour, you might have read, is not at all comfortable with his current role on the team. Since Earl Watson was acquired he's gotten most of the fourth quarter minutes that used to belong to Ridnour. This is not okay with Luke. He has done some wondering, publicly, if this is the right situation for him. He's got an option year left on his deal but probably could push for a change this summer if he feels strongly enough about it.

It'll be interesting to see what last night's big victory for the Florida Gators does for Joakim Noah's stock. There are some saying he could possibly go number one in the draft if he decides to leave school early. I would imagine the chances of him leaving school just increased with winning that title. Do you like him better than Adam Morrison? Obviously, Portland could end up with this decision come draft day.

UCLA showed class in defeat, and I loved hearing the quote from guard Arron Afflalo after the game. Coaching legend John Wooden, who's 95 now, watched the game from a Los Angeles hospital, where he's recovering from an undisclosed illness that isn't said to be life threatening. Afflalo, when asked if that was a distraction for the team said, "Our heart and everything we do on the floor is always a tribute to him, whether he's healthy or not." I just like the fact that the players at UCLA know and respect the history of the program. That isn't always the case.

Sonics Take Revenge Sunday Night (4.3.06)

The last time the Trail Blazers played in Seattle the emotional edge belonged to us. It was January 30th, and Nate McMillan was making his first trip back to the building where he spent 19 years as a player and coach. There was a video tribute to him before the game, he was given a long-standing ovation, and his players really got to see how much a victory would mean to their coach. They came out very intense and beat the Sonics 116-111.

Last night I was really wondering how it would play out on this second trip to Seattle. Who would have the emotional edge? Which team would be more jacked up for the game? Would the Sonics be out for some big-time revenge? The answers, as I found out a short time later were- the Sonics, the Sonics, and yes. Mike Rice, my partner on TV, and I always talk on the way to the games about what are feelings are about that night's game. What we think might happen, and how we think the teams will come out. Neither of us came anywhere near predicting what would eventually happen last night.

Seattle, basically playing for pride, like Portland, grabbed a hold of the game in the early moments and absolutely ran away and hid. This thing was over early. After we had gotten through one quarter and saw the Sonics outscore the Blazers 34-19, we knew it was actually worse than it looked. Ray Allen hadn't done anything to that point. He got involved in the second quarter and things got ugly. Allen scores in bunches, and put up 18 in the second quarter alone. It didn't take too deep a look into the crystal ball to realize Seattle would be out for revenge, but I didn't think they would use it to their advantage as much as they did.

You take games like this and look at the early stats and throw away the rest. The second half was garbage time, and other than looking to see what Portland players continued to play hard, there wasn't much that was constructive. This losing slump, as you would expect, has sapped every bit of confidence out of this team and it doesn't take much to break them right now. Opposing teams know this and try and stomp on Portland's will early in games. We've seen this in the last several games.

Other than just some treatment sessions for players nursing injuries, the team is taking today off. They need it. There are times you get mad and look to drive points home to a team, and there are times when you just force them to get away for a day. They need a day off.

It's not a day off for Rice and I, as tonight we hit the radio for Courtside Monday Night. It'll be on from 6pm to 8 on KXL-AM 750 in the Portland area, on the Blazers Radio Network, and available on line at kxl.com. Your e-mails are welcome at courtside@blazers.com. You can begin sending them now if you wish. Our guests are going to include Utah TV analyst Ron Boone, Frank Hughes from the Tacoma News Tribune, one of the best NBA writers in the biz, and Blazers assistant Maurice Lucas, who is down in the NBDL with Ha Seung-Jin. Talk to you tonight.

Can the Trail Blazers Mix-up the Playoff Race? (3.31.06)

Same story, different day. By that I mean, the Trail Blazers are getting set to take on another team fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, and another team that simply cannot afford to lose a game at this point. The Utah Jazz come into the Rose Garden on Saturday night.

The NBA schedule is always set this way, so this is no surprise. You've always got mostly opponents from the west down the home stretch, and this season there are so many teams still in the running the games are all intense. I only wish the Trail Blazers were one of those teams battling for a spot in the second season. It's a great time to be an NBA fan. I actually think the race to the playoffs in the final days is as exciting as the first round.

Utah plays tonight against the Clippers in Los Angeles, and that's a very big game for both teams. More so for the Jazz, because, of course, they're already in good standing in the race. They are either going to finish fifth or sixth. I still think they'd be much better off to finish sixth, and, even though they can't admit it, I'm sure they agree. It's a matter of playing San Antonio or Dallas with the fifth spot, or finishing sixth and playing Denver in the first round.

The win for Sacramento on Wednesday night in Portland was huge. They aren't comfortably in the eighth spot, but they'd be really biting their nails if they had lost to the Blazers. As it stands now, they have a game and a-half lead over Utah for the final playoff spot. When you talk about remaining schedules, I think Utah has the advantage. They've got tough games left, like tonights against the Clippers, San Antonio, Denver, Golden State, and have to play at Dallas, and San Antonio. But, the Kings have to play at Golden State, have the Clippers home and away, are at Dallas, San Antonio, and Denver, and have to host Phoenix. The one feather Sacramento has in its cap is that they own the tie-breaker with Utah. So, the Jazz have to end up with a one-game lead over Utah to grab the final spot. So, when I say they are a game and a-half back, go ahead and figure they are 2 and a-half back. That's still doable, but they can't slip up against Portland on Saturday.

Not only is Saturday's game an intriguing matchup for the Blazers, but Sunday night we're in Seattle to play the Sonics. The teams have split the first two meetings, and play again in Portland a week from tonight. Nate McMillan would obviously love to win the season series from his former team.

The Blazers didn't do much on the practice floor yesterday. They watched film, got treatment, did some shooting, and had a light workout. As I said yesterday, I thought the effort was good on Wednesday night, Sacramento just played like a desperate team and played an incredible offensive game in getting the win.

Tomorrow night's game will be on Fox Sports Net once again, beginning at 6:30 with FSN Live, the pre-game show. The game against the Sonics on Sunday will also be on FSN. The next home game, following tomorrow nights, will be Wednesday against the Houston Rockets at the Rose Garden. Have a great weekend and I'll talk to you Monday following the game against Seattle.

Kings Play Like They Need It In Portland (3.30.06)

You might hear us talking about the assist-to-turnover ratio a lot on our TV broadcasts. We've brought it up mostly when talking about Steve Blake this season. He's been among the league leaders all season in this category, and going into last night's game he was third on the list. Chauncey Billups of Detroit leads the league at 4 to 1 clip (4 assists for every turnover). Blake is currently third at 3.74 to 1.

Team averages carry more weight, of course. A decent team assist-to-turnover ratio is usually about 1.7 to 1. I say all of this just to put into context what the Sacramento Kings did last night. Forget the fact that they shot 51% from the field. They dished out 33 assists, and committed just 6 turnovers. In the first half the number was absolutely ridiculous. They had 21 assists and 1 turnover. That almost never happens in this league. I don't think I've ever seen a team do that in a half.

Tuesday night, in their loss to Washington, the Kings had 16 assists and 18 turnovers. Seeing that number in reverse is never a good sign, and it wasn't in that game. True, they shot just 43% in that game, and assists are, of course, directly tied to shooting percentage. You make shots, you get assists. But even more than that, the ratio is very good indicator of ball movement, offensive efficiency, and your opponents' defense.

Maybe even more amazing last night is that no Sacramento player had more than 6 assists in the game. They not only got balanced scoring, but everyone was passing the ball (and, everyone was making shots). You just aren't going to beat a team when they do this. It's kind of remarkable to me that the Trail Blazers were actually within 11 points at one point in the second half, and lost the game by only 16.

I haven't even mentioned that the Kings were 12 for 18 from behind the three-point line. Tuesday night against the Wizards they were 4 for 17. Brad Miller, their center, was 4 for 6, Ron Artest, who shoots 28% on the season from behind the line, was 3 for 3. Mike Bibby, who played a fantastic game, was 4 for 5 on his three-point attempts. In short, the Kings played jus about a perfect game.

I mentioned yesterday the Kings were looking at this game as a "must win." They played like it last night, and after losing their previous two games, both at home I might add, their timing last night couldn't have been better. They moved back to the .500 mark at 36-36, and bought themselves a little breathing room in that 8th playoff spot in the west. It's not over yet, but this was likely their most important game of this final stretch. They still have tough games left, and to lose in Portland would have been disastrous for them..

The effort put forth by the Trail Blazers was very good last night. They got off to a solid start, but just ran into an extremely hot, and desperate team. After falling behind by 17 at halftime, the Blazers actually outscored the Kings by one in the second half. The Blazers shot 46%, were 7 for 12 on their three-point attempts, outrebounded the Kings 37-33, and had 20 assists and only 9 turnovers. Those numbers, on most nights, will get you a victory.

Blazers Play Spoiler (3.29.06)

This game just got a whole lot more interesting. When you're not in the playoffs you have to motivate yourself in different ways, and playing the spoiler is one of those ways. Tonight the Trail Blazers can really knock some pins down in this race in the west, if they can beat Sacramento. A Kings loss wouldn't destroy them, but it would certainly make the Utah Jazz happy.

Last night the Kings lost their second-straight game, and second-straight home game, this time to the Washington Wizards 97-84. I watched the game on league pass and all the Kings announcers kept talking about late in the game is the fact that Wednesday's game at Portland is just about a "must win." They lost Sunday to Golden State at home, and with last night's loss they are just a game and a-half ahead of the Jazz for the 8th spot. Both Sacramento and Utah have tough schedules remaining. The Kings still have to play at Golden State, Clips, Dallas, and San Antonio, and host the Clips and Phoenix.

The biggest concern for the Kings right now isn't the schedule, it's how Ron Artest is mired in a big-time slump. The team is still 17-12 since the trade back on January 25th, but have now lost 5 of 7. Last night Artest had just 12 points on 4 of 18 shooting. Against Golden State on Sunday he was 4 for 20. In his last three games Artest is 10 for 50 from the field. That, my friends, is a slump. He'll be out for blood tomorrow night. Are you ready Viktor Khryapa? I assume Viktor will get the assignment on Artest tomorrow night.

Also a concern for the Kings is the fact that their entire offense is slumping. Artest's struggles are a big reason why, of course, but the team has scored 84, 83, 91, and 80 points in its last four games. They aren't the run-and-gun Kings of the past, but the production is way down, obviously.

During our game Sunday night, Rice and I were talking about some of the other teams in the west, and the Phoenix Suns came up. I don't care who the player is who's coming back, teams have to go through adjustment periods. This is especially true when you've had such a good rhythm going. Suns fans shouldn't be alarmed by what's happened in their last two games, but it's concerning. This is why they had to bring him back before the playoffs. Their five-game road trip back east isn't exactly off to a good start. They fell Monday night in New Jersey 110-72. Last night they lost at Milwaukee 132-110. They still have Indiana, Toronto, and Detroit left on this trip. Even though they've got the second seed in the west already nailed down, you don't want to head into the playoffs like this.

Tonight's game against Sacramento will be on Fox Sports Net, beginning at 6:30 with FSN Live. Former Blazer, and former Cleveland general manager Jim Paxson will join me for a segment on the pre-game. The game also, of course, will be on the Blazers Radio Network, with Brian Wheeler and Antonio Harvey. Oh, and by the way, it's Joel Przybilla bobblehead night at the Garden.

Fans Weigh in on Draft (3.28.06)

It was just a light practice for the Trail Blazers on Monday morning, following the loss to the Clippers on Sunday night. Not many teams do a lot of physical training at practice at this time of year. Mostly it's just some shooting drills or contests, possibly walking through some new wrinkles, or watching tape. The one thing everyone did yesterday was shoot free throws. Lots of them. The Blazers are last in the league in free throw percentage, and people sometimes ask me "don't they work on them?" Yes, they do. They practice them individually and as a team. Yesterday some of the players got involved in elimination competitions, and the losers had to run. It's a good way to work on free throws, make it competitive, have a little fun, and get your conditioning in all at the same time.

Players also come in for treatment following games, and that was the case yesterday. Zach Randolph treated his sore toe, Joel Przybilla iced his knee, and Theo Ratliff got his sore ankle worked on. Some of the players lifted weights following the short workout and then went home to get some rest. Jarrett Jack stayed around and hosted some kids from Special Olympics.

The homestand continues Wednesday night when the Sacramento Kings come to town for the third and final meeting of the season. The Kings play tonight at home against Washington. The Wizards came up with a big win at Golden State last night, and are playing well. The Kings, who have struggled a bit as of late, are trying to hang on to the eighth playoff spot in the west. Wednesday will be yet another chance for the Blazers to play spoiler.

Last night was our Courtside Monday Night radio show. As I mentioned yesterday, our guests included Jarrett Jack. If you missed it, you can hear the interview by clicking on the link at the right of this page. It's a little tough to hear Jarrett, but most of it is okay. We also had Mike Kahn on from Fox Sports.com, and John Hollinger from ESPN.com.

Judging by the e-mails and calls to the program, many fans have already turned their attention to the off-season, and have been weighing in on who they think the Blazers should take on the NBA Draft. The NCAA Tournament gives all of us a chance to see some of these players we've been hearing about on TV. It's amazing how the mock drafts get hot and cold on certain players, and much of it has to do with how they play in the tournament. We'll continue to debate this topic on the radio show, and your opinions are always welcome. I was surprised this week how many people have cooled on Adam Morrison. Tyrus Thomas, out of LSU seemed to be getting the most attention from fans, and in many mock drafts he's now listed as No. 1. The pre-draft workouts will tell us a lot come summer.

A Rare Win for the Clippers in Portland (3.27.06)

Tonight it's back to the radio for Mike Rice and I as we host Courtside Monday Night on the Blazers Radio Network (KXL 750-AM in the Portland area) from 6pm-8. Our guests tonight will include Blazers rookie Jarrett Jack, who had a career high 20 points at Phoenix last Thursday. He's been one of the most consistent players this season for Portland and has a very bright future with the organization and the league. Also on will be Mike Kahn from Fox Sports, John Hollinger from ESPN.com, and Jim Kozimor from the Sacramento Kings broadcasting team. As always, your e-mails are welcome and you can send them anytime today. The address is courtside@blazers.com. If you can't catch the show, you can hear the interviews tomorrow right here on this blog.

Last night it was more of the same for the Blazers as they fell to the L.A. Clippers 97-83. Portland got off to a horrendous start in the game shooting just 3 for 17 in the first quarter. Take away the bad first quarter and the Blazers actually beat the Clippers the rest of the way. Portland rallied in the fourth quarter to get its shooting percentage up to 34 percent for the game, but was never really in this one.

A win for the Clippers in Portland has been a very rare thing. Coming into this season, the Clippers had won only 12 games, all-time going back to 1970, in Portland. Now, the all-time series in Portland stands 75-14, in favor of the Blazers. The teams meet one final time this season and that's in L.A. on April 12th. Two days later, the Blazers take on the Lakers. It's the first time I can remember us playing the Clippers and Lakers in the same trip to L.A.

The Clippers now sit 41-28. It's the first time they've won 40 games in a season since 1992-93, and are closing in on their first playoff birth in 9 years. They currently sit in the fifth playoff position in the west, with Memphis right behind them in sixth. It's an interesting situation because the sixth spot could possibly be a better place to be. The team that finishes fifth will get the Dallas Mavericks in the first round. The sixth place team will get Denver. I know Denver is playing very well and will be dangerous, but if I'm the Clippers I'd rather be in sixth and get the Nuggets.

The Trail Blazers continue their homestand on Wednesday night when the Sacramento Kings come to town. The Kings, following an awful start to the season, are now in a position to make the playoffs in the West. Everyone is talking about how Ron Artest is the reason why. It'll be the fourth and final meeting between these two teams on Wednesday. The homestand wraps up on Saturday night with a game against the Utah Jazz at the Rose Garden.

Talk to you on the radio tonight at 6.

Khryapa has Career High Game Against Suns (3.24.06)

We talked yesterday about how the Phoenix Suns were coming off a loss, in fact two of them, and how good teams don't very often let losing streaks develop, especially at this time of year. Tonight, the Trail Blazers will face the same situation when they take on the San Antonio Spurs at the Rose Garden. They've won 13 of their last 16, but are coming off a loss Wednesday at Denver, which means they'll be out to make sure this streak doesn't reach two (I know, one loss doesn't constitute a "streak" but when you're 53-15 I'm sure it feels like a streak). This will be game two of a five-game trip for the Spurs. They lost to Denver, have Portland tonight, and then have Seattle, the Clips, and Lakers, before returning home.

It's the final time Portland will see San Antonio this season, and I'm sure that is just fine with the Blazers. They've lost the three previous meetings with the Spurs, but played them tough in the last two meetings. They lost a hard-fought battle, 86-82 at the Rose Garden back on February 1st, and then fell in Texas on March 4th, 101-81. The Blazers actually had the lead midway through the third in that one. The Spurs have a very impressive 33-7 record against the Western Conference, and being Dallas is hot on their heels, can't afford to drop one in a game like this tonight. Their regulars should get no rest, at least early.

Last night the Blazers fought hard in Phoenix, but lost 125-108. This was an 8-point game midway through the third, but the Suns were just too much to deal with. They wanted to whitewash the Blazers following their 111-101 loss at the Rose Garden two weeks ago, but didn't get a comfortable lead until the fourth quarter.

We always search for bright spots, and last night it was easy to find those. Viktor Khryapa, who continues to show aggressiveness offensively, had a career-high 22 points, and also pulled down 12 rebounds. He was 8 for 10 shooting and played his tail off. Jarrett Jack, who came off the bench, also had a career high, scoring 20 points on 8 of 11 sh